"I was so lucky"
Naomi (30) gave birth to her son Andgi Carvan on January 26th. They live in a small tent in what was a private park before the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12. Now the place is home to hundreds of families.
Naomi's story
"When the earthquake happened, I was aware of the house shaking. But it was only when I went out to the street that I took in what was happening. Four buildings next to mine had collapsed completely. I looked back at my home, half destroyed, and started to cry. I’ve lived in this park since that day.
Naomi was sitting all by herself outside her shelter when she started going into labour. "I I felt the most shocking pain in my stomach. It was so strong that I cried out. People sitting around me came running to see what was wrong. One of the guys from the camp somehow found a friend with a car and convinced him to drive me to the nearest hospital. I was so lucky: Since the earthquake, gasoline is so scarce almost no one can afford to drive. He dropped me right at the hospital entrance."
She recalls that, by the time Andgi's was born, she was so exhausted that she was shaking. "I hadn’t been able to get anything other than a tiny bit to eat for two days. I think my baby is malnourished. He is so thin. He’s only getting my breast milk and if I’m not getting proper nutrition, the baby can’t be getting enough to eat either".
Although Naomi is no longer together with Andgi's dad, he comes as often as he can to help her the baby.
"At the moment he can’t help much because he has no money. This is happening across Port-au-Prince now. Men are trying as hard as they can to find work, money and food while women are left alone in the camps. They are trying, but it’s so hard. There is nothing."
